Hip surgery is a fairly common orthopedic surgery that affects dogs of all ages and sizes. In my practice, I see a good number of dogs with hip issues, including hip dysplasia, hip fractures, osteoarthritis, and post-hip surgery.
Hip dysplasia is a common cause of hip issues, particularly in mid-sized and larger dogs. My website has separate posts on hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.
Sometimes, crate rest and physical rehab are enough to treat hip issues, and other times, surgical intervention is needed. Either way, canine physical rehab can help your dog regain the use of the impacted limb and recover more quickly.
Here’s what you need to know about hip surgery and how you can help your dog recover.
How to Know if Your Dog Has Hip Issues
Dogs can show signs of pain in many different ways. If you see your dog doing the following, make an appointment with your primary vet.
What is an FHO?
The most common hip surgery performed on dogs is a femoral head ostectomy, also known as an FHO. This surgical procedure removes the head and neck of the femur (the thighbone) to improve a dog’s quality of life and restore pain-free mobility to the damaged or diseased hip.
Hips consist of ball-and-socket joints. The head of the femur, or thigh bone, is the ball in the joint. The acetabulum, part of the pelvis, is the socket. When the head of the femur fits within the acetabulum, the hip can move freely and comfortably.
However, mobility can be impacted when the hip is damaged or diseased. Chronic inflammation and pain are often the result when the ball-and-socket joint doesn’t fit together properly.
An FHO removes the ball from the femur, leaving the empty socket. With healing, the leg muscles hold the femur in place and restore mobility. In time, scar tissue provides cushioning, making the joint movement more comfortable. The result is considered a “false joint.”
Not all hip surgeries involve an FHO. In some cases, surgical repairs can be done to preserve the original hip. FHOs are typically done on dogs who are under 50 lbs. In some cases, a vet will perform an FHO on a larger dog.
Why Do Dogs Get an FHO?
An FHO helps dogs by removing bone-on-bone contact in the impacted hip or hips, which can result in pain-free mobility. If the hip bones can’t be repaired, then an FHO is an option for many dogs.
There are several medical conditions that may necessitate an FHO surgery for your dog. Here are the most common reasons:
What is the Healing Time for a Dog Who Had an FHO?
For the first few days after surgery, vets usually recommend activity restriction and prescribe medications to help with pain. The activity restriction usually entails crate rest or restriction to a small room.
Limit movement and brief leash walks for your dog to potty are fine. Moist heat and cold laser may help to ease inflammation that can cause pain and to decrease stiffness. Cold laser also encourages healing.
If your dog will tolerate it, you can gently move the hip forward and backward through a normal range of motion. However, these passive range-of-motion exercises should only be done if they don’t cause pain.
Around one week following surgery, your vet recommends increasing physical activity and adding some short, managed leash walks. You can also hold the front of your dog’s body while allowing him to move his hind legs, mimicking walking.
By encouraging your dog to walk, you’re helping him start rebuilding his strength and muscle mass. Walking also helps prevent the scar tissue that will form in the affected joint from forming too tightly, which helps with flexibility.
Your dog should walk slowly and start bearing weight on the leg at around a week post-op. For the next month, you shouldn’t allow your dog to run, play rough, or make any sudden twists and turns. These high-impact motions can slow the healing in your dog’s muscles and joints.
At around six weeks post-surgery, most dogs will completely recover and resume regular activities. This time can vary based on the dog’s age, condition, and activity level. Life After Hip Surgery and How Can Physical Rehab Help? If your dog doesn’t show significant improvement six weeks after surgery or isn’t bearing weight on the leg by the first week, many vets will suggest physical rehab.
Cold laser therapy can help your dog get a jump-start on healing if you start it soon after surgery. A rehab vet can assist with your dog’s healing process and evaluate when your dog is ready to resume normal activity.
Most dogs regain normal function of their affected leg following hip surgery or an FHO. Though the average time following surgery is usually six weeks, it can vary. Some dogs may have a slightly decreased range of motion or strength in the limb. Some exercises can help your dog strengthen the impacted joint and continue with the healing process. A physical rehab vet can help you learn how to improve your dog’s mobility and set realistic expectations for the future.
Hip dysplasia is a common cause of hip issues, particularly in mid-sized and larger dogs. My website has separate posts on hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.
Sometimes, crate rest and physical rehab are enough to treat hip issues, and other times, surgical intervention is needed. Either way, canine physical rehab can help your dog regain the use of the impacted limb and recover more quickly.
Here’s what you need to know about hip surgery and how you can help your dog recover.
How to Know if Your Dog Has Hip Issues
Dogs can show signs of pain in many different ways. If you see your dog doing the following, make an appointment with your primary vet.
- Limping when walking
- Displaying stiffness in their joints when walking, getting up, and lying down
- Walking with a “bunny hop” favoring one back leg
- Decreasing interest in normal activities like walking or playing
- Restlessness
- Sensitivity with touch, especially around the hips
- Unexplained barking or whining
- Changes in your dog’s behavior
What is an FHO?
The most common hip surgery performed on dogs is a femoral head ostectomy, also known as an FHO. This surgical procedure removes the head and neck of the femur (the thighbone) to improve a dog’s quality of life and restore pain-free mobility to the damaged or diseased hip.
Hips consist of ball-and-socket joints. The head of the femur, or thigh bone, is the ball in the joint. The acetabulum, part of the pelvis, is the socket. When the head of the femur fits within the acetabulum, the hip can move freely and comfortably.
However, mobility can be impacted when the hip is damaged or diseased. Chronic inflammation and pain are often the result when the ball-and-socket joint doesn’t fit together properly.
An FHO removes the ball from the femur, leaving the empty socket. With healing, the leg muscles hold the femur in place and restore mobility. In time, scar tissue provides cushioning, making the joint movement more comfortable. The result is considered a “false joint.”
Not all hip surgeries involve an FHO. In some cases, surgical repairs can be done to preserve the original hip. FHOs are typically done on dogs who are under 50 lbs. In some cases, a vet will perform an FHO on a larger dog.
Why Do Dogs Get an FHO?
An FHO helps dogs by removing bone-on-bone contact in the impacted hip or hips, which can result in pain-free mobility. If the hip bones can’t be repaired, then an FHO is an option for many dogs.
There are several medical conditions that may necessitate an FHO surgery for your dog. Here are the most common reasons:
- Hip fractures—Some hip fractures can be fixed surgically. When they can’t, or if finances are a concern, an FHO is often recommended for pain-free mobility.
- Severe osteoarthritis--If you’ve loved a senior dog, you may be very familiar with this type of arthritis, which erodes joint cartilage. In this case, the cartilage protecting the head of the femur and the acetabulum erodes where the thigh bone meets the pelvis, leading to painful bone-on-bone movement in the hip.
- Hip dysplasia—When a dog’s bones don’t grow uniformly, and the joint is loosened, this condition eventually leads to degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis. An FHO can help with mobility and pain from this condition.
- Joint dislocation or luxation–A hip that isn’t in the socket due to trauma or a medical condition like hip dysplasia and cannot be manipulated into place or surgically repaired may be a good candidate for an FHO.
- Hind leg muscle weakness—Depending on the circumstances, some vets may recommend an FHO for dogs with muscle weakness in their back legs, which can cause pain and mobility issues.
What is the Healing Time for a Dog Who Had an FHO?
For the first few days after surgery, vets usually recommend activity restriction and prescribe medications to help with pain. The activity restriction usually entails crate rest or restriction to a small room.
Limit movement and brief leash walks for your dog to potty are fine. Moist heat and cold laser may help to ease inflammation that can cause pain and to decrease stiffness. Cold laser also encourages healing.
If your dog will tolerate it, you can gently move the hip forward and backward through a normal range of motion. However, these passive range-of-motion exercises should only be done if they don’t cause pain.
Around one week following surgery, your vet recommends increasing physical activity and adding some short, managed leash walks. You can also hold the front of your dog’s body while allowing him to move his hind legs, mimicking walking.
By encouraging your dog to walk, you’re helping him start rebuilding his strength and muscle mass. Walking also helps prevent the scar tissue that will form in the affected joint from forming too tightly, which helps with flexibility.
Your dog should walk slowly and start bearing weight on the leg at around a week post-op. For the next month, you shouldn’t allow your dog to run, play rough, or make any sudden twists and turns. These high-impact motions can slow the healing in your dog’s muscles and joints.
At around six weeks post-surgery, most dogs will completely recover and resume regular activities. This time can vary based on the dog’s age, condition, and activity level. Life After Hip Surgery and How Can Physical Rehab Help? If your dog doesn’t show significant improvement six weeks after surgery or isn’t bearing weight on the leg by the first week, many vets will suggest physical rehab.
Cold laser therapy can help your dog get a jump-start on healing if you start it soon after surgery. A rehab vet can assist with your dog’s healing process and evaluate when your dog is ready to resume normal activity.
Most dogs regain normal function of their affected leg following hip surgery or an FHO. Though the average time following surgery is usually six weeks, it can vary. Some dogs may have a slightly decreased range of motion or strength in the limb. Some exercises can help your dog strengthen the impacted joint and continue with the healing process. A physical rehab vet can help you learn how to improve your dog’s mobility and set realistic expectations for the future.
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